Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 33,122, settled in 1912.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Manhattan Beach grades B+ overall, ranked 84th of 841 in California. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally. The median household earns $204K and its public schools beat 95% of California towns on state tests and graduation. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $3.4 million, 34.9 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. 79% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Manhattan Beach, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Manhattan Beach is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. Only 8 of the 846 California towns we compare have a higher January low than Manhattan Beach.
Where Manhattan Beach beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Manhattan Beach | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.7% | 10.6% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Manhattan Beach is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 859 in 1920, 35,506 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1852 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Manhattan Beach. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw15 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw11 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaIntuit Dome
Big draw13 mi MuseumUSS IowaSoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Intuit Dome: Spatms, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Iowa: PH1 Jeff Hilton, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Manhattan Beach, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Manhattan Beach.
Manhattan Beach is among the three healthiest towns in California, has schools in the top 5% of California and fares better on crime within California than nationally.
At 34.9 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income, the typical home (about $3.35M) costs more against local pay than in 99% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Its typical home is the priciest on its borders; Hermosa Beach is next at $2.27M.
The median rent in Manhattan Beach is $3,449 a month. Typical home values rose 9.4% in the year to September 2026.
| Manhattan Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,449 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #29 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $3.35M.
Its public schools are run by the Manhattan Beach Unified school district. Two of its 14 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Beach MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,175 | – |
| Mira Costa HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,473 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
It ranks #3 of the 847 California towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 2.7% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide.
13% of adults get no exercise outside work in Manhattan Beach. Manhattan Beach beats the California average on 25 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 6% of adults smoke cigarettes in Manhattan Beach.
| Manhattan Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 29% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Manhattan Beach | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.7% | 10.6% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Manhattan Beach.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 32 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 56% of California’s graded towns. Crime runs higher than in most U.S. towns, but its C tops all 3 graded towns on its borders; Redondo Beach (C−) comes closest.
Manhattan Beach’s property crime rate is 22 per 1,000 residents.
| Manhattan Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 49.8°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 74.3°.
Manhattan Beach has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
39.1% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
39% of Manhattan Beach workers work from home. Since 2013, Manhattan Beach has added 1,584 jobs, to 18,233 in 2023. 4.5% of Manhattan Beach residents live below the poverty line.
| Manhattan Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 39% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $204,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
3.4 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves.
| Manhattan Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sand Dune Park | 0.4 mi | 9 |
| 2. Marine Avenue Park | 0.3 mi | 7 |
| 3. Polliwog Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
38 within 15 miles of the center of Manhattan Beach
About 5 of every 100 Manhattan Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
30 notable people were born in Manhattan Beach.
City in California, United States
Manhattan Beach is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, on the Pacific coast south of El Segundo, west of Hawthorne, and north of Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,506. Together with Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, it forms the three Beach Cities within the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. The community is known for a long beach stretching approximately 2.1 miles (3.4 km) and roughly 450 feet (140 m) wide. The climate is moderate because of Manhattan Beach's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, with an average year-round high temperature of 69.1 °F (20.6 °C) and an average year-round low of 56.4 °F (13.6 °C).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Manhattan Beach.
At #84 in CA, it grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Hermosa Beach (B) comes closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Beach | #84 | B+ | D− | C | A+ | A+ |
| El Segundo | #199 | B− | D− | D− | A | A+ |
| Hermosa Beach | #129 | B | D− | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Redondo Beach | #151 | B | D− | C− | A | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Manhattan Beach grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #84 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, C for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
30 notable people were born here, including Rachel Bloom and Danny Strong.
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